In the point of purchase display and marketing of merchandise widespread use is made of apertured panel board displays. The panel boards are provided throughout with regularly spaced apertures, which receive L-shaped lugs of display hooks. The arrangement provides for great deal of flexibility in the arrangement and presentation of the display panel, because the display elements are removably received in the panel apertures, and may easily be moved from place to place and set up in any predetermined pattern. A variety of devices are available on the market for use as display hook devices, for mounting on apertured panel boards. Prominent among these devices is a class including a molded plastic base member, which may be assembled with a wire-like display hook element. Quite typically, the base member is installed in the apertured panel board by itself, and the wire-like display element is thereafter inserted in the base element. A particularly advantageous form of such two-part hook assembly is described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 303,419, filed Sept. 18, 1981 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,209. Other examples are reflected in the Lucietto U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,954, the Ginsburg et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,325, and the Valiulis U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,084. The device of the present invention relates to this general class of devices, while incorporating significant improvements for the purposes intended.
One of the present strong trends in the point of purchase merchandising area is a trend toward the use of so-called Universal Product Code (bar code) labeling of products. Under this plan, each product is assigned a specific, computer-readable printed bar code. At the checkout counter, the product is moved past a scanning station by the checkout operator, causing the bar code to be read and processed. From the bar code, the checkout computer is able to determine and print the nature of the product and its price and, in many cases, to carry out certain inventory accounting functions.
In conjunction with the trend toward the use of Universal Product Codes, it frequently is important or desirable (and in some cases the subject of statutory requirements) to provide prominently displayed product identification and pricing in connection with the products, including those which are displayed as point of purchase items on a panel board display. This not only speeds up the checkout process but also expedites inventory taking and aids in assuming that the proper product is displayed on a particular hook. A particular advantageous form of merchandise display hook arrangement including provisions for Universal Product Code information is described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 151,357, filed May 19, 1980 (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,440).
While the desirability of Universal Product Code information is evident to many merchandisers, present laws frequently prohibit or restrict the use of such codes in many areas unless the merchandise packages are individually price-marked. Nevertheless, Universal Product Coding is becoming progressively more accepted throughout the country and it is both desirably and advantageous for merchandisers to prepare for the introduction of such techniques into their merchandising plans.
In accordance with the present invention, a uniquely adaptable merchandise display device is provided which is multi-purpose in its design, essentially at no increase in manufacturing cost, and which enables the point of purchase display merchandiser to utilize a wide variety of display elements. Of particular importance, it permits the merchandiser to utilize conventional forms of display hook elements initially, with the ability to merely add to the unit at a later date and capability of displaying Universal Product Code information.
Importantly, the device of the invention enables a large chain merchandiser, having outlets in many areas and subject to many statutory requirements, to purchase a common base and a variety of display elements for use in connection therewith. Where Universal Product Code identification is presently utilizable, it may be provided for initially, with a special, unitary, over-under style of display element, with the lower element carrying the product and the upper element carrying the bar code information. Where the initial use of bar code information is not feasible, or where special forms of product display hooks are required, such as loops, the base member accommodates the use of separate product code display elements and product display elements in a particularly unique and advantageous way.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, and to the accompanying drawing.